Academy-Award-Nominated Australian Movie Star Shares Sad News

Paul Cush

Australian actor Hugh Jackman met his wife, Deborra-lee, back in 1995. At the time, Deb was already a star, and Hugh was a recent drama school graduate just starting his career. The couple met on the set of an Australian TV series called “Corelli,” and they got married the following year.

The Jackman’s have now been married for 27 years, and they have two children, a son named Oscar and a daughter named Ava. As recently as this past spring, they seemed to be perfectly happy together. In April, in honor of their 27th anniversary, Hugh wrote on Instagram, telling his wife, “I love you so much. Together we have created a beautiful family. And life. Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage and loyalty is an incredible gift to me.”

Something has apparently changed in the past few months. Now, five months later, Hugh and Deb have released a statement to PEOPLE explaining that they have decided to get divorced. The statement explains, “We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.”

The statement continues, “Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness. We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives.”

The statement is signed “Deb and Hugh Jackman,” and the couple adds, “This is the sole statement either of us will make.”

While this news may be shocking to many, according to a source who spoke to Page Six, “It happened a while ago. Friends and family knew about it.” The source added that the divorce was “a long time coming.” The source explained that back in 2022, when Hugh acted in “The Music Man” on Broadway, “Deb wasn’t at rehearsals very much.” 

Not attending your husband’s rehearsals doesn’t necessarily imply a divorce, but perhaps, at least in the eyes of the source, it’s a symptom that there may have already been a problem in the marriage.

And some fans have expressed concerns about his mood in this Instagram post, worried that he’s looking down and hoping to cheer him up: